La Virgen

Discount applies automatically at checkout — mix & match any espresso roast.

This coffee’s roasted in our espresso style — but that doesn’t mean you need to brew it as espresso. You can make it however you like — espresso, filter, moka pot, AeroPress or whatever you enjoy. We roast it a touch darker than we would a filter roast to caramelise the sugars and bring out smooth chocolatey and nutty flavours that cut beautifully through milk.

When you add milk the natural sweetness, fat and proteins tend to soften acidity and highlight caramelised flavours. That’s why lighter filter roasts can sometimes taste a bit sharp or sour with milk — they’re simply not built for it. Espresso roasts being more developed balance this out. The deeper caramelisation creates toffee and cocoa notes that blend harmoniously with milk’s creaminess while a hint of gentle bitterness adds that satisfying ‘coffee punch’ in your flat white or cappuccino.

If you prefer your coffee black this roast will still give you a full-bodied rich cup with plenty of depth and sweetness. For a lighter fruitier experience you might enjoy exploring our filter range instead.

Castillo is a Colombian-developed hybrid, designed for rust resistance and high yield. It includes genetics from Caturra and Timor Hybrid. While early versions were criticized for mediocre cup quality, modern strains can be quite good, with fruit-forward and balanced flavors, especially when grown at high altitudes.

Caturra is a dwarf mutation of Bourbon discovered in Brazil in the early 20th century. Its compact size allows for higher planting density and easier harvesting, making it a farmer-friendly choice. It retains much of Bourbon’s flavor characteristics but can be slightly less complex. It is commonly grown in Colombia and Central America.

In the washed process, coffee cherries are depulped to remove the skin and pulp, then fermented to eliminate the mucilage before thorough washing. This method produces a clean, bright cup with pronounced acidity and clarity, highlighting the coffee’s intrinsic flavors. It’s widely used in regions with ample water resources, such as Colombia and East Africa.

This refers to the surface colour of the whole roasted bean, but it's not always a reliable indicator of roast level. Some of our most vibrant and lightly roasted coffees, like our Ecuadorian Sidra, may appear medium-dark (Agtron 50–60) due to their surface colour, yet are in fact light roasts with minimal development time. Surface colour can be affected by the original green colour, bean type, density, and moisture — so don't judge a bean by its exterior.

Colombia | La Virgen | Caturra / Castillo Washed - When is peak flavour?

Coffee growers in Guadalupe are very traditional coffee growers. They work with their families and their communities to grow and produce coffee how they’ve learned through their lives from their parents and grandparents. Additionally, coffee growers in this region are very committed to the environment, some of them having achieved the Rainforest Certification. Each farm has their own wet mill and drying infrastructure or at least one per family in which they all share their spaces. They own farms with an average of 5 hectares. In the last few years, we’ve noticed an interest in improving their quality, changing some varieties and processes with the objective of achieving better quality for their coffee.

In Guadalupe, Caravela works with many aging producers. However, many of the sons and daughters of these producers are stepping up to support and continue with the family traditions with greater energy, innovation and care for the environment.

The coffee chosen by James Hoffmann in collaboration with Caravela is produced in La Virgen Guadalupe, in the department of Huila in Colombia, by a collective of independent producers.

Guadalupe is a small municipality in Huila, nestled along the skirts of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. Guadalupe is blessed with an abundance of water sources, including the Suaza River, which nourishes the fertile lands and sustains both the community and its agricultural bounty. The region’s water supply, combined with fresh, cool weather, creates ideal conditions for growing high-quality crops. Today, the hardworking people of Guadalupe make their living through cattle farming, river fishing, and cultivating crops like corn, beans, citrus fruits, and, most notably, coffee – one of the area’s most valuable resources.

Colombia is one of the world’s most iconic coffee-producing countries, known for its mountainous landscapes, rich soils and deep coffee-growing culture. Across the country, small producers grow coffee in diverse microclimates, creating cups that range from bright and fruit-driven to chocolatey, nutty and comforting.

This lot sits firmly in the classic Colombian style, sweet, clean, balanced and familiar, with the kind of profile that feels like home for many Colombian coffee drinkers.